In August my son, my BF, my sister, her partner and a bunch of friends rented a cabin in Yosemite. The main goal of that trip was to hike up Half Dome. For multiple reasons I thought it was best if I took the time to relax in the cabin rather than do the hike - besides I hiked up Half Dome last May!!! Anyway, my son, my sister and all the rest did the hike and I finally got at least some of the long awaited pictures of my son from my sister :roflhard: I figured I'd share them with you guys :)

Here he is a bit before starting up some major switchbacks on the way to Half Dome - Half Dome is looming in the background. When my BF and I did this hike last year we wanted to climb up at sunrise so it was very dark when we got to this spot. I remember clearly coming around the corner and seeing that humongous rock in shadows. My heart skipped a beat and we both gulped hard and thought "What are we crazy?" :roflhard:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/2988888511_93202b9d38.jpg

Now - here he is at the base of Half Dome, with my friends Franky and Ana (Franky's on the left - Ana right above him). Look at all those people! That's insane!!! I can't say I liked the idea of him going up when there were so many people log jamming the cables, but he made it up and back down and is safe. Whew!!! I'm just glad I wasn't there. When my BF and I went he was the 1st up the cables that morning and I was the 2nd - there was one guy at the bottom and he waited until we were completely up before he started on the cables. It was perfect!!!!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3010/2989721150_c28162af34_o.jpg

And here he is being very silly! He's calling me on that phone. I told him to call me when he's about to go up, when he's on top and when he's heading back to the car :)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3232/2989721158_0394fea2bf.jpg

And finally here he is starting on the cables! I don't have any of him on top yet! I am patiently waiting for those now :nails:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3277/2988888231_28da599169.jpg

nephthys8

10-31-2008, 02:32 PM

Sadly, I don't think that any pictures do Half Dome justice--its size is just indescribable to anyone who hasn't seen it in my opinion. My family and I visited Yosemite for the first time every in early June of this year and had an absolutly wonderful time! Congrats to him for doing the Half Dome hike! The geological structure itself is ominous to say the least and that appeared to be a rather vigorous trip. Needless to say, my parents were not up for doing that one (especially my mother, who is petrified of heights), so we drove around the park instead and went to the look-out points to take pictures.

Tropicflower24

10-31-2008, 02:46 PM

For anyone wanting scale, look at the tree in the first picture, on the left, behind Evona's son. Now look at the basse of Half Dome, and understand that those 'little' trees are the same size and bigger. ;) :teehee:

I never made it to Yosemite, but I used to live in the Sequoiah Nat. Forest. I loved it up there. :D

evona

10-31-2008, 03:10 PM

Sadly, I don't think that any pictures do Half Dome justice--its size is just indescribable to anyone who hasn't seen it in my opinion. My family and I visited Yosemite for the first time every in early June of this year and had an absolutly wonderful time! Congrats to him for doing the Half Dome hike! The geological structure itself is ominous to say the least and that appeared to be a rather vigorous trip. Needless to say, my parents were not up for doing that one (especially my mother, who is petrified of heights), so we drove around the park instead and went to the look-out points to take pictures.

I completely agree! I've hiked up Half Dome and Clouds Rest (that's where my BF and I got caught in the snow storm that is pictured in my avatar) and its just amazing beyond words!

The hike is 16 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 4,800 feet and you cross Vernal and Nevada falls on the way up - well actually you kinda hike alongside Vernal Falls up never ending stairs :hair:

There's a backpackers campsite about a mile past Nevada Falls ( about half way up). When my BF and I went we stayed there so that we could get up super early and make it to the top at sunrise. We were the last 2 to get permits to stay at the camp that night.

For anyone wanting scale, look at the tree in the first picture, on the left, behind Evona's son. Now look at the basse of Half Dome, and understand that those 'little' trees are the same size and bigger. ;) :teehee:

I never made it to Yosemite, but I used to live in the Sequoiah Nat. Forest. I loved it up there. :D

Good point Tropicflower!

Sequoia is awesome!!! I stayed there for New Years a couple of years back and wound up waking up to kids tobogganing right behind my tent. I don't mean a few hundred feet - I mean 10 feet!!!! With their parents cheering them on. You would think the parents would have told the kids to play a little further away from where people were sleeping!!!! I mean the campsite was nearly EMPTY so there was lots of space!!!!! I guess we must have camped near the best hill! :shrug:

Tropicflower24

10-31-2008, 03:27 PM

LOL That is funny, in a irratating kinda way. :D

My dad worked at a Christian camp and conference center and we lived on site. It was really cool. There was this one hill that was about the height of a 2 story house. It ROCKED as a sledding hill, but it was almost straight up. You had to pull the intertube, sit down and rest, pull the intertube, sit down and rest, LOL. I always thought it was a cruel trick that it took you 10 minutes to walk up, and only 1 minute to get down. LOL

evona

10-31-2008, 03:43 PM

LOL That is funny, in a irratating kinda way. :D

My dad worked at a Christian camp and conference center and we lived on site. It was really cool. There was this one hill that was about the height of a 2 story house. It ROCKED as a sledding hill, but it was almost straight up. You had to pull the intertube, sit down and rest, pull the intertube, sit down and rest, LOL. I always thought it was a cruel trick that it took you 10 minutes to walk up, and only 1 minute to get down. LOL

OMG - I think I know what camp you're talking about. It has the only gas around for miles there. We were told by the rangers to go there for gas. They did not tell us it was a camp so we were expecting a hole in the wall gas station or something. We were completely confused when it looked like we were entering camp property, but lo and behold there was a gas pump :roflhard: I think there's even a little store there or something, but it was closed. I was trying to find some water and some kids directed me to the water fountain they use.

Tropicflower24

10-31-2008, 04:42 PM

Hartland Christian Camp? It's on a road called Eshom Valley drive. Is that the same one? What year was it? :D

evona

10-31-2008, 04:49 PM

Hartland Christian Camp? It's on a road called Eshom Valley drive. Is that the same one? What year was it? :D